


wash us away

by thekaidonovskys



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Caretaking, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hair Washing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-03-01 06:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2762555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekaidonovskys/pseuds/thekaidonovskys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thank god Hermann undresses after he's entered the bathroom, or else walking in to find Newt sitting on the bench top would have been much much worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	wash us away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [killerweasel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerweasel/gifts).



> For killerweasel, who asked for some hair washing after a bad day, and said I could have as long as I wanted to write it, so of course I did it in 24 hours (while other things I promised months ago sit at a complete standstill).

It's been the day from hell. 

Up until the closing of the breach, Hermann had stupidly believed that the war ending would make his life less stressful. He'd thought it would just be down to paperwork and a few conferences and then they'd be home free, able to get on with their lives.

He had forgotten that, with them no longer being needed to keep giant monsters at bay, people are much quicker to critize actions that had previously saved their lives. 

Today it's been especially bad. It began with a video conference to the United Nations environmental 'experts', in which Hermann was raked over the coals for the pollution levels caused by corrosive metals in the Mark I's still stuck in the bottom of the ocean. It ended with Hermann informing them that he had much more important things to do with his time than sit around apologizing for _saving the world_ , and terminating the call. 

That was when Hermann remembered that this particular branch of the UN was kept firmly adrift (and in control) by his father's generous donations. 

It's gone downhill from there. 

It hasn't helped that his head has been pounding since he woke up, and painkillers haven't touched it. Hermann can't take anything stronger than basic paracetamol as a lot of it conflicts with what he takes for his leg, so he's stuck with it. 

Thankfully, Newt only needed one look at him this morning to know to keep his voice down. Hermann's more than grateful that his partner knows him well enough to catch those sorts of signals. 

He's only stopped working for lunch and dinner, and the pile of reports about the closing of the breach doesn't seem to be getting any smaller or making any more sense. After that, he has to get onto the justifications for wartime actions - not something he's looking forward to, and not something he ever thought he'd end up with. But with Stacker dead and Herc out of the building as soon as possible, they're without a Marshal and therefore all stuck with the bullshit like this.  

His only consolation is that he isn't Tendo - he's got the lawsuits to handle. 

The final straw has just arrived; an email from his father. Hermann, taking one look at the subject line - _your conduct in this mornings conference_ \- deletes the email without looking, then slams the laptop lid, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. 

He's had enough. Even his numbers - the one thing that's never let him down - are making his head swim.

It's just gone 10pm, so Hermann feels fully justified in calling it a day. He's on his own too - Newt's experiments need to run overnight, and he finished setting them up an hour ago. He had then proceeded to spend the next ten minutes shuffling papers and casting worried looks at Hermann, who had eventually snapped at him to leave if he wasn't going to do anything useful.  

Newt had left, which had been the miracle of the day - but then of course Hermann got to add a heaping of guilt to the end of his horrible day. Because it's not like it used to be; they're open about their care for one another these days, and Hermann doesn't like treating his partner with so little respect.  

But bad days happen. 

When he finally gives up and limps back to his room, his only thoughts are for the shower and his bed. That's probably how he misses the fact that the bathroom light is on, which isn't normal. 

Thank god Hermann undresses after he's entered the bathroom, or else walking in to find Newt sitting on the bench top would have been much much worse. 

(Yes, okay, it wouldn't be the first time that Newt had seen him naked but only ever in the bedroom and on Hermann's terms)

"Okay, I know this is kinda weird," Newt says. He's kicking his feet into the cupboard in what must be a nervous rhythm, but quickly stops when Hermann winces. "Sorry, right, headache. That's why I'm here."

"You have high strength painkillers?" Hermann asks hopefully. 

Newt shakes his head. "Nothing you can take with what you're already on."

Hermann - though he already knew that - sighs in disappointment. "Then what are you here for?" he asks. 

Newt hops off the counter and crosses the room. He rests one hand on Hermann's shoulder, and gently combs the other one through his hair. Hermann sighs again, but this time in surprised contentment, and Newt smiles. "I'm gonna propose something," he says, "and you're not gonna refuse it straight off the bat, alright? Put aside the stiff upper lip decorum for a few minutes."  

Hermann gives him a look, but nods anyway.  

"Let me wash your hair?" 

Hermann blinks. "What?" he says, unable to help himself. "I hardly think that will do _any_ good."

Newt rolls his eyes and applies a little pressure to the hand in Hermann's hair, fingertips now almost massaging rather than stroking. "You're telling me that isn't nice?" he asks. 

Hermann, grudgingly, has to admit that it is. "But I doubt your motives," he adds when Newt grins like he's won. "If you're doing this just to engage in some type of shower sex -" 

"C'mon, Hermann," Newt says, actually looking a bit wounded. "Give me more credit than that. You're tired and you've had a shit day and your head hurts and what kind of boyfriend would I be -"

"Must you call yourself that? We are not _teenagers_."

"I must," Newt says solemnly, just like he has every other time Hermann has tried to get him to adopt the far more acceptable term _partner_. "What kind of _boyfriend,_ " he repeats with emphasis, "would I be if I tried to use an ulterior motive of making you feel better just to get sex?" 

Hermann sighs again. "You're right. I apologize."

"Once I make you feel better, then I can ask for sex," Newt says with a smirk. 

Hermann rolls his eyes, then winces a little. Christ, even _that_ hurts. "Definitely not tonight," he says. 

"Okay, cool," Newt says easily. "I'm still gonna take care of you though - if you'll let me."

 And as much as Hermann wants to scoff and insist that Newt's supposed technique isn't going to do him any good, there's just something about the earnest way Newt's asking to take care of him that's too much for Hermann to resist. "Very well," he says. "But I'll have to sit down."

Newt nods as if he's expected that, then steps back and begins unbuttoning his shirt. Hermann, suppressing one last sigh, turns the shower on at the optimum temperature then follows Newt's lead. 

Newt, the first undressed and never having any qualms about modesty, steps into the shower then turns back and holds out a hand. "Your shower is so damn nice, Herms," he says. "I need an upgrade." 

"You are not upgrading to _my_ shower," Hermann mutters, and eyes the offered hand as he folds his shirt. He knows full well that Newt's seen his unsteadiness - his leg is just as exhausted as the rest of him - but he's not making it obvious that he's trying to help, so Hermann feels much easier about accepting it. 

So he takes Newt's hand and steps in, immediately taking a seat on the small ledge that runs across one of the walls. He stretches his leg out and tilts his head back, letting the water run over him for a few minutes. Even the simplicity of this is helping. 

Newt, amazingly, stays silent until Hermann finally looks over to see why. He finds Newt, now sitting next to him, just watching him with a small smile. "What?" Hermann asks.

"Nice to see you looking more relaxed," Newt says, and reaches for the shampoo. "Turn around a bit?"

Hermann does, his face now away from the stream of water. He feels Newt slot in behind him, legs either side of Hermann's, and opens his mouth to argue about the unnecessary intimacy -

Then changes his mind. He'd only be arguing out of feigned propriety anyway - he quite likes having Newt this close. 

And there's no avoiding the intimacy, especially when Newt presses a kiss to his shoulder before beginning to work his hands through Hermann's hair, which is - _oh._ Heaven wouldn't be much of an exaggeration. Hermann tilts his head back a little, and groans quietly at the feel of soft hands against his scalp. 

"If you're gonna make bedroom noises," Newt says, sounding like he's smirking, "then I'm gonna figure you've changed your mind about the shower sex."

"Sorry," Hermann mutters, and reminds himself to stay quiet. 

Newt chuckles. "Definitely kidding," he says quietly. "I know the difference, and appreciative noises are good. I want to know that I'm helping." 

"You are." 

"Good." Newt's hands leave his hair, and he shifts away for a second in which Hermann hears the shower nozzle being removed. "Hairdresser style," he says as he returns, now kneeling behind Hermann so he's tall enough. "I promise I won't get it in your eyes." 

Hermann, eyes closed anyway, smiles a little. He feels Newt press one hand to his forehead, tipping his head back a bit further, and then he sets to work rinsing. Newt seems to know what he's doing, so Hermann just stays quiet and tolerates... well, okay, he's enjoying it. Quite a bit actually. 

He only speaks up when Newt's hands are working through his hair again. "You already did that," he says, his voice lazy and tired. 

"Hm? Yeah, but you have to double shampoo."

"Do you?" 

"Uh-huh. First time to get the product out, second to clean."

Hermann smirks. "Product?"

"Oh, right. Damn, life must be easy for you with low maintenance hair. I bet you don't do anything to it after you've washed it either, do you?" 

"No need." 

"Wish I was in the same boat. My hair washing routine is rigorous - but at least it doesn't rival Tendo. He takes forever to wash his hair and twice as long to style afterwards."

"Ah, that explains your hair washing skills," Hermann says. "You've done this for Tendo before?"

Newt snorts. "Please. You think he lets others touch his hair?" There's a short silence, then Newt clears his throat. "You're the first, actually. Never done this before. Good to hear I have skills though."

Hermann doesn't reply. He's slightly touched by the fact that he's the only one who's received this kind of attention from Newt. 

After the second shampoo comes the conditioner - something Hermann rarely uses and only owns because it came attached to the shampoo - and then Newt spends a good few minutes just massaging his scalp. Hermann doesn't complain. He's far too content to think of ruining a good thing.  

When Newt's rinsed that out, he hooks the nozzle back in place and sits down. Hermann turns back around, opens his eyes - then yawns, closes them again and rests his head on Newt's shoulder. Newt chuckles quietly and threads his fingers back into Hermann's hair. "How's your head?" he asks. 

"Better," Hermann murmurs. "Much better."

"Good. Do you want to talk about your day?"

"Not a chance in hell." 

"Didn't think so," Newt says, and they lapse back into contented silence. 

After a few minutes, Hermann opens his eyes again and looks up. Newt smiles, then ducks in and kisses him softly. "Water's getting cold," Hermann says. 

"Mm." Newt kisses him again, then gently nudges Hermann away so he can stand up and turn off the shower. "Wait there a minute?"

Hermann nods and watches as Newt jumps out and dries off, wrapping a towel around his waist before picking up another. He holds his hand out again and Hermann takes it, then immediately blushes as Newt begins drying his hair. "Newton, I'm sure I can manage -" he begins. 

"Sure you can," Newt says. "But I like doing things for you and you so rarely let me." He finishes with his hair, then hands the towel to Hermann. "You can do the rest," he says with a wink. "Wouldn't want you to think I had ulterior motives."

Hermann rolls his eyes - glad that it doesn't hurt anymore - and dries himself off. While he does, Newt ducks back through to the bedroom and comes back with Hermann's pyjamas and dressing gown... and his own pyjamas, which Hermann raises an eyebrow at. "Have you hidden more of your clothing in my room?" he asks. 

"Nah. Brought them with me." 

"So sure I'd let you invade my shower?" 

Newt grins. "You're a soft touch."

Hermann doesn't dignify that with an answer. He dresses, then sighs as Newt attacks his head with the towel again. "Don't even think about putting one of your products in it," he warns. 

"I don't have any designed for bowl cuts," Newt says as he hangs up the towels. Hermann sticks his tongue out before he thinks about it, and Newt laughs in delight. "Damn, you're cute. You must be real tired to resort to that."  

"I am," Hermann admits. 

Newt's smile softens and he holds out his arm. "Let's go tuck you in then."

Newt's dead serious about that too, Hermann finds, as he's lying in bed with the covers being smoothed over him. Newt smirks at his look of reluctant resignation, kisses his forehead, then rocks back on his heels and bites his lip. "So I guess I'm - I'd better head off -"

"You're going to walk through the halls dressed like that?" Hermann says, gesturing to Newt's Kaiju-themed pyjama bottoms with a roll of the eyes. "As if your master plans didn't involve you spending the night. Get in." 

Newt doesn't need telling twice. He hits the lights and scrambles into bed, Hermann waiting until he's stopped moving before reaching out and tugging him close. "We get to _cuddle_?" Newt asks. "God, I must've really done something right."

Hermann smiles. "You did," he says. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." 

Hermann's tempted to say something about Newt never mentioning this to anybody, but he's asleep before he can summon up a snarky enough tone. 


End file.
